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Quinoa Tabbouleh

I love tabbouleh. Whenever I order falafel, I always order a side of tabbouleh because it is so refreshing and bright with flavor. The combination of all the fresh herbs with the citrus dressing give it so much fresh aroma and bursting flavor. Whenever I feel like I need a health boost, I make myself some of this Middle Eastern salad.

This version is a bit different because it uses quinoa as the grain base instead of bulgur. Most of the salad is actually chopped herbs, but the quinoa grains give it body and absorb the lemon-olive oil dressing to balance out the dish well. It also has high protein content and is delicious, so it's a substitution with substance ;)

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

1 cucumber, chopped

1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped mint

2 Tbsp sliced scallions

Juice of 2 lemons

Olive oil, salt

Instructions

Bring water and quinoa to boil and then let simmer for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Meanwhile, combine cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, mint, and scallions in a large bowl. Add cooked quinoa and mix together. Drizzle lemon juice and 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, and sprinkle with a dash of salt, and toss until evenly mixed. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to let the flavors meld and the quinoa to cool.

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